2 Naxals killed in encounter with police in Chhatisgarh\'s Dantewada

Dantewada: Two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday morning, police said.

The gunbattle broke out in a forest near Gumiyapal village, located around 400 km from Raipur, when a District Reserve Guard team was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.

There was a heated exchange of fire when the security personnel tried to zero-in on the rebels, following which the latter escaped into the forest, he said.

During the search of the encounter spot, bodies of two ultras and two firearms - a .303 rifle and a muzzle-loading gun - were recovered, Pallava said.

Those killed were identified as Deva and Mamgli alias Mui, who were active members of the Malangir area committee of Maoists and carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads, he said.

A suspected woman Naxal, identified as Kosi, was also arrested from the spot, the official said, adding the search operation was still underway in the area.